Tag Archives: Fundamentalism

There are 4 fundamental forces, which govern all what happens in our universe – gravity, electro-magnetism, strong and weak forces. Likewise, there are 4 basic equations that govern all what we do.

We spend days and decades doing our things; but most of us fail to see how things are interwoven or interconnected. There exist clear cut relationship between causes and consequences or events and effects.

Here below are 4 equations that are universally applicable from the strongest person to the weakest in our world and give you command on the results from what you do:

You believe = What you perceive or conceive repetitivelyThis equation is the mother of your ideas, beliefs, tendencies, traits or habits. It shows that beliefs do not come from blue; but you actually build them. Whatever you think or observe on a repetitive basis or you are made to do so, you would start to believe it, regardless it is right or wrong.
This equation governs your learning in school, college or elsewhere. It builds your fantasies, fascinations, faith to fundamentalism or fanaticism.
One of the far reaching repercussions of this equation can be observed across the world – humans are very prone to negativity; our attention is very quickly drawn by adverse scenarios or news. We tend to think, talk and see more of wrong or depressive things and in that process, we build up wrong beliefs or ideas resulting in our anger, anxiety, fear, frustration, doubts, depression or superstition.
So, to develop good ideas or right beliefs, you have to perceive or conceive right things.

You become = What you believeIf you believe in dynamism, you are bound become dynamic. If you put your belief in leadership qualities, you can never be a laggard. You want to stand tall, nobody can make you small.
If you believe that you can be a singer, engineer, professional or public icon, you would become that. All that you need isa belief, which is unquestionable and unshakable; which you would not doubt or dither, go back and forth. You would relinquish anything that comes as a roadblock; but not reverse that belief. Then, such powerful belief would automatically push you to pursue what you want to be, develop a passion and open door of opportunities to get there.
This relationship works both way; so if you believe you cannot become someone you like, you would not.

You get = What you giveOften bosses complain that their sub-ordinates do not respect them; but then they are oblivious of the fact that they do not deal with them with respect. If you give smile, then it is not possible that people would not return it with smile. If you give trouble, you would necessarily get in trouble. You love someone sincerely; it is impossible that person would not fall in love with you.
So, you get what you give. It is universally applied to all of your actions without exception.If we fail to notice such a simple cause and effect relationship, it is only because of our ego, biases or obsession, which blinds us to see what exactly we are doing or giving.

You see = What you sow in your mindOne morning, you wake up in great spirits and you find everything going great that day. But, another day, you get up with low energy and esteem, though nothing has changed externally.
So, what has actually changed?
It is ideas and images, which you have sown in your mind previous day, during dreaming or first few moments after waking up that have actually changed for good on 1st occasion and for worse, in case of 2nd.
So, you would always see, what you have sown in your mind. Positive and negative aspects or angles of everything exist side by side. Depending upon what is in your mind, you start to focus on plus or minus or mix of the two and you fathom things accordingly.
If you want to see things in order, you have to put your mind first in orderly state. If you like to witness happiness around, you have to be happy. But, if you have roped in miserable ideas in mind, you would only reap miseries.

So, these equations give you complete control on whatever you want to believe, become, get and see!

Would you ever like to mess up with Mother Nature? Source: http://www.flickr.com/

US was recently hit by one of the severest snow storms, affecting 80 Million people across 20 states and causing serious disruptions and damages. On 26-December- 2004, world was shaken by great Indian Ocean tsunami, which had released energy equivalent of 23,000 Hiroshima type atomic bombs, as per U.S. geological Survey and killing more than 150,000 people! Giant forces, which had been building up deep in the earth apparently for years suddenly got busted on that day, unleashing killer water waves in Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet airliner!!

Are such catastrophes actually retaliations by nature against excessive tempering by man?

Nature has gifted enormous energy reservoirs of oil and gas in extreme terrains and environments in Middle East, Russia and elsewhere, as if hardships are being rewarded with high returns. It seems often common that right things are found at the wrong places and wrong things are found at the right places. Boom in oil and gas production led to unprecedented economic and industrial growth in last 2 decades and its price peaked at US $ 145 per barrel in July, 2008. On one hand, it led to lot of innovations in explorations and extractions like oil/gas from sea using floating platforms, sand containing bitumen and shale gas and stimulated huge investments to build additional production capacities. On other hand, easy money generated by oil and gas business found its conduit to political rivalries, unrests, wars and terror, which has slowly sucked world economies into turmoil and tumbled oil prices to around US $ 30, as of now. No one knows how much of ecological and geological imbalances that we are witnessing are on account of extraction of this commodity in huge quantity from underground and sea!

Look at countries or regions, which have population in excess of available resources. When we look at their history of calamities, it seems to support economic ideas advanced by noted Thomas Robert Malthus in 1798 that unchecked population growth would be countered and compensated by deaths, diseases, wars etc.

Is it that nature refuses to entertain the extremes for too long and endeavors to balance?

Answer is yes; it appears not only true at global or macro level but also at personal or micro level! Look at following examples:

If we hold any item in excess, we tend to consume more and also waste more.

When quantity of anything goes up, quality comes down and invariably, there are more rejections.

When you have wealth in excess of what you can manage, you are more likely to deploy it for wrong or loss making use or it would lie dormant, losing its value significantly over time.

If you have too much knowledge, you develop lot of differences with others, make bad experiences and eventually, it becomes your liability.

If you are too beautiful, you would get too exposed; get into wrong acts only to make beauty your bane.

Nature seems to be overly against overindulgence of any kind!

Excess of anything is bad; but excess of no-thing is also bad!

We all know that anything in excess is bad; but what is very interesting is to know that excess of not doing anything is worse.

If you communicate with people too less, you would be isolated; deprived of opportunities; get in depression inviting clinical advice to mix with people.

If you spend too sedentary a life, you would be sucked into health issues forcing you to change your life style.

So, message of nature is – do little (moderate) of everything that it has provided to you or else face its fury!

Why nature brings down “excess” to “enough”!

There are 2 main reasons –

Nature excels and allow you to excel under state of equilibrium.Whenever nature’s equilibrium is disturbed, it would react to restore it. Depending upon type and extent of such disturbance in short or long term, nature’s corrective action can be mild or massive.Corporate gurus go gaga over disruptive technologies; but they seem to fall short on their vision of nature’s balancing act!

Law of least chaos demands that each object or area be charge neutral.Whether we take atom or universe, it is charge neutral and that is what gives it stability. If any object or part/whole area becomes polarized – positive or negative, it would become chaotic until it gets neutralized again.Anger or anxiety, ferocity or fundamentalism of an individual comes, when he becomes net negative; likewise, ecstasy comes when one is highly positive. What is war on terror? It is a struggle between highly negative and positive minds or people! It is not divine driven!!Eventually, everyone has to come to normal (neutralized) state, if he/she has to survive!

Drawing a line between what is excess and what is enough!

Common perception is that it is difficult! Difficulty is really with our unwillingness to draw the line itself! Most people like to keep it vague; not realizing that brings serious problems. Then, they derive consolation by blaming their fate or consider it fait-accompli!

“Enough” is always efficient; but “Excess” is invariably extraneous and waste of energy and money!World leaders and thinkers have so far failed to define importance of such distinction – excess vs enough – and create correct understanding of nature’s demand for balancing or moderation. They are clueless on how crises and conflicts develop, when no thoughts are given to balancing population vs resources, technological advancements vs moral advancements, industrial development vs nature’s development, quantity vs quality.

It is a very simple mantra:

Line between enough and excess is best drawn, when you differentiate your needs from wants or desires; distinguish your goals from your greed!

So, for all levels – individual to international – message of Mother Nature is clear – moderation; balancing; stay in center; don’t lean on left or right. You would then surely secure your future and that of future generations!

To deal with what has gone wrong, we tend to adopt wrong ways! Most of us feel justified in doing so and in that process, we go more wrong and commit more blunders!!

Above self-justification usually comes in 2 ways:

No; we are not doing anything wrong by going wrong, since that is the only way a wrong person or thing can be corrected!

We can’t help going wrong; after all we are human beings!

Justifying what one does is in our DNA. Therefore, we generally don’t care whether our actions bring right results or make things worse.

Open any chapter of history or observe current happenings; writing on wall is very clear –

“Whenever things had gone bad, people had lost their balance or goodness, resorted to bad means and hit the wall. Then either they had come to their senses to do right things and restore normalcy or continued to struggle with no sign of “bad or wrong attitude, approach, behavior or things” abating!”

This saga continues at all levels – from personal to companies to countries. If employees could not meet their targets, hell would be broken loose by bosses. If some sub-ordinates are weak in performance or personality, first thing that a supervisor would do is to ignore or avoid communicating with them. If a profit center in a company has incurred losses, heads would roll. If a kid or household help has broken a glass, we will break lose our temper.

Let us look at what happens when there is conflict among a group of people. Emotions and temper would run high. Conflict escalates. But it ebbs, when counsel by one wise person within the group or from outside prevails on wisdom of the rest and if that does not happen, the conflict would only engulf many more!

Take fanaticism or fundamentalism in several parts of world at this time. Some people are imposing their doctrines or dogmas at global level through terror and killings. To counter or suppress that, some countries use their weaponry technology, power and money muscles, resulting into more killings and further maligning and multiplying those, who are already malignant!

When something goes wrong with our health – common cold, catch in the legs to cancer – most manage to mess it up further. We would become pessimistic, sad, irritated…, though every doctor would advise – be cheerful and hopeful! No doubt, treatment would do its job to cure/heal; but all researches show that evergreen advice of doctors and a good frame of mind would accelerate restoration of health and/or make it much less painful!!

Simplest problem like being in rush, majority mismanages to do everything (avoidable) to go in reverse gear!

From above examples, it is very clear that wrong approach can never mutilate wrong; instead, it would help it mutate and multiply!

Why nearly all of us go wrong in dealing with wrong

Here is the deal:

Action on basis of 1st reaction of our mind is the easiest thing to do!Majority confuses 1st reaction of mind as their instincts and that is a worse gaffe!!

Above spontaneously satisfies our ego and that gives birth to our biases and a feeling of being justified in our actions.

It then leads to cementing the thoughts at the back of our mind that what we perceive as bad or wrong things must be dealt by giving back, pointing fingers, banging, anger, accusation or shouting to physical harm in worst case.

Negativity always sits on our nose and hence is handy; whereas positivity needs patience and peace of mind that we find difficult to practice!

Our history and hormones have inculcated hero cult in us, which gives us sadistic pleasure of seeing offenders or villains being thrashed out verbally or bodily or even finished.

It is for above reason that we feel compelled to retaliate against wrong doings!

Why only “right” has possibility and power to root out “wrong”!

We seem to ignore the simplest analogy or logic, nature has beautifully presented to us:

Identical polarities or charges repel each other e.g. two negative or positive charges would move apart and can’t impact each other; therefore, the two survive individually. But, a positive and a negative charge would collide and cancel each other. By the same token, a wrong or bad can be corrected by right or good, but never by another wrong or bad action! It is also precisely for same reason that wrong brings reaction and retribution, whereas right bestows reconciliation and restoration!!

Unfortunately, aforesaid 6 points create illusion in minds of most what exactly is wrong or right. Clearly, wrong is what creates reactions, raises emotions or temper, conflict or controversy and interference with others.

Right is clearly what creates solutions initially or eventually and would result in:

Evoking tolerance, patience and positive vibes

Eliciting understanding and acceptance of the way others are and why they do things in consonance or contradiction to your expectations

Encouraging open communication on your part

Ebbing or Erasing past memories of your prejudices

Evolving your response, action or judgment without fear but with fairness and frankness

So, if you can rely on what is right as above, you can comfortably deal with or manage what is not right or conflicts, controversy, crisis or even crime at personal, professional or public level, regardless you are employer, employee, supervisor, sub-ordinate, buddy or bête noire!

Our beliefs build our character and habits shape our personality! Are our beliefs or habits gifts from destiny/divinity or products from our genes or DNA? Many tend to believe that it is; but that is not true. Our genes or DNA may influence some tendencies e.g. not recognizing impending dangers like legendary car racer – Michael Schumacher, being fearful or sensitive to changes. Most beliefs and habits get built unconsciously through our life time; though some form through our conscious efforts.

One of my former colleagues was very messy and disorganized; albeit very creative. His supervisor arranged couple of training programs to change him; but that would not have much impact. Subsequently, he got an opportunity to go to Germany on deputation for 2 year assignment. When he returned back, he had dramatically changed in his habits. He would keep his office highly organized and pay attention to every details. He became very conscious of what he would do; though this change came at the expense of his creativity!

On changing beliefs, there are several real stories on how life of famous or ordinary people saw a dramatic difference in their beliefs like believer of violence to become non-violent or honest ones becoming dishonest when faced with difficulties.

Above substantiates the fact that habits are what you harbor and beliefs are what you build! And when you build, you also acquire capability to break!!

How habits and beliefs are formed

Seed of habit or belief is an idea, which comes in your mind as a sequel to your observation. If this idea comes repetitively in your mind through seeing, reading, listening or thinking, it gets rooted in your mind.

Those ideas or thoughts, which result into physical activities on a repetitive basis becomes your habits. These physical activities do mean that your body sensory and nervous systems would work in sync with such thoughts. Thoughts, which remain mental but repetitive, become your beliefs. Beliefs would drive or impact your behavior and other ideas.

Why habits?

If you go back to early phase of evolution of human race or any other living being, habits were formed only for 2 basic reasons – Health and Safety. But, you consciously or unconsciously form many more habits, which have no relation with your health and safety e.g. getting angry when something does not get done, putting hands in pockets of trouser while talking to someone, lying down on sofa while watching TV and so on. Why do you need these habits? You never raise questions.

Observe carefully – habits, which have nothing to do to secure good health and safety, are either harmful or hurt your efficiency! These would kill your focus or health itself like smoking or taste for junk food!!

Why beliefs?

Original idea behind beliefs getting formed or developed is always that it gives you happiness or in layman’s term – peace of mind or comfort level. It is only later that belief which was meant to give happiness, takes shape of faith, fundamentalism or fanaticism!

All beliefs, which are not linked to your happiness, are actually banes! Belief of a boss that by empowering his employees, he would lose power is bunk. It is not aimed at happiness; it is meant to boost his ego, since he wants employees to gravitate towards him by becoming center of power. People seldom notice amount of beliefs that they hold, which are farcical, including so called corporate virtue – being paranoid!

Also, every belief has an ugly side – loss of openness and flexibility.

Challenge your habits and beliefs

If you find that your decency and dexterity do not deliver results, your honesty hurts, your sincerity sticks or you are trailing behind your peers despite terrific work, it certainly requires you to challenge and change your some of the habits and beliefs!

It is extremely relevant that –

Your habits must be only those which would endure your health and safety.

Your beliefs should only what would bring you happiness and do not hurt others.

Believe that it is only you who have built your habits and beliefs. What gets built also gets broken. Do not believe any psychiatrist, psychologist or physician, if they say or write to the contrary. You may need to overcome resistance that your mind can create. People have no clue how wrong habits hurt and beliefs belie what otherwise belong to you!

It is now high time that you take stock of and audit your habits and beliefs, list all those, which do not meet above 2 criteria and make an action plan to discard those gradually and with conviction.

You can’t imagine how you would rejuvenate and redeem yourself by realigning or relinquishing irrelevant habits and beliefs!

It is very common to follow what you believe as “ideal ways and ideals set (by others)” in your pursuit and passion for achieving your goals. When success starts to turn in, a turning point also comes when your passion for such ideal ways and ideals set becomes stronger and stronger. Such strong passion invariably leads to obsession, which is Idealism. In short, it evolves as:

Innocent Ideas –> Ideal ways –> Ideals –> Idealism –> onset of Ills!

Remember, every individual has his/her own definition or understanding of what he/she perceives as ideal, ideals and idealism. But one thing is blatantly common – beneath idealism is obsession!

How Ideal ways leading to Idealism gives birth to Autocratic Bosses

In corporate life, for instance, many are very dynamic and believe in quick actions and results. They perceive it as their virtue, passion and an ideal way to turn over great performance for the company. Such people would be highly demanding by nature and expect team to take prompt actions and deliver. In most cases, such drive over time becomes their obsession, regardless of comfort or crisis in the team. They would then impose their decisions on team, set tough targets and disallow dissent under garb of getting results for company. Unless conscious, which most are not, they would develop strong belief in their methods. For them, it is an ideal way; but it has already got translated into Idealism and gives birth to their autocratic leadership with toxic behavior!

Turn to private life – it is not bad to behold old traditions and values; but if you, as head of your family, become strong advocate or hard headed for same, you would impose these on younger generation in your family, refuse to compromise and in that process, crush their desire to lead a modern life! Such idealism would invite several ills!!

Ills of Idealism

So, idealism hurts in several ways:

Isms trigger Issues, except few like optimism.

It instills inflexibility.

It inculcates hard notions.

It insulates you from realities and rationales.

It instigates you to over-zealously protect your ideas.

It makes your vision and perspective parochial.

It makes you inconsiderate and self-centered.

Ugly side of Idealism

Hard ideas/thoughts/notions go hand-in-hand with idealism. Hard ideas cannot remain stagnant and still in our mind. These are bound to come out in our actions or behavior; otherwise, these cannot remain “hard” anymore! Therefore, we feel strong urge to practice the same and proliferate around.

People, who are already in power and position, would demand that their ideas be implemented; failing which they would even enforce. Let us categorize them as “A” for corporate or institutional leaders/bosses and “B” for political and religious leaders, wielding formal power.

Those, who do not have formal power or position on public or professional platforms, would seek surreptitious methods to propagate. They generally take route through faith, indoctrination, public movement or preaching! Let us assign category “C” for them.

Methods and measures of categories A + B + C bring ugly side of Idealism! As a consequence, it shows up in variety of ways:

Ideology in case of A+B+C

Ferocity (Ferociousness) for A+B+C

Fundamentalism for C & partly B

Fanaticism for C & partly B

Extremism for C

You can see that category C, who swears by Idealism but without accountability, can unleash the most havoc and this is what history has witnessed!

Above 3 categories of people have several characteristics in common:

Overwhelmed by obsession.

Mistakenly perceive their obsession as passion.

Wrongly believe their ideology as legacy.

Foster fear factor.

Live in fantasy, rather than reality and induce others to do so.

Ruthlessly protective of their ideas.

Thoughts are mixed with myths and mythology.

Have vanity and vehemence.

Implant ideology in your mind through indoctrination!

Shut your mind, so that thinking beyond perimeters of what they preach and proliferate is not possible.

Inferences, you would be amazed with!

You need good ideas/thoughts for anything that you pursue.

You need to focus on these to get success and your notions are still soft (can be subject to change).

When success comes, you develop liking and love for those ideas and you start to believe those “ideas” are “ideal” for you.

That is how every passion gets developed, as also hard notions.

You see more wins coming your way.

This is when you start believing those “ideas” as your “ideals”.

Here is when you come on the edge!

If you stop being more possessive and passionate about these ideas/ideals, you would sustain and continue to swim through successes superbly.

If you push and perpetuate your passion and hard notions further, your ideals would translate into idealism. And you would invite ills!